Wine Tasting Evening

Hosted by

Alfred Lavagna

At The Yellow House Restaurant

Lewis Stagnetto Ltd Est: 1870

Wine Tasting Suggestions

Wine, as a substance of nature, needs to be perceived by the senses. Ordered wine tasting is an exercise of educating taste buds, which encourages moderate consumption. It is important for us to foment the exercise and attention of our senses when tasting wines. One advantage of this training is that it can help to overcome the problems resulting from the excessive consumption of alcohol, which has invaded society, especially youth, during the 20 th and 21 st centuries; in other words, instead of “drinking to forget”, we should look towards “drinking for enjoyment”.

When enjoying a wine, it is suffice to awaken the senses and pay attention. All the senses:

Touch , to distinguish the sensations of temperature, texture and astringency, or the effervescence of a carbonic ally macerated wine, or the fanciful bubbles of cava or a champagne, or even the greater or lesser thickness of the crystal of the glass used to taste the wine;

Hearing , to appreciate the sound of the bottle being uncorked, the wine falling into the glass, or the conversation during a wine tasting among the family or friends, during which we prolong the pleasure of tasting the wine with our comments on it. However, the three most important senses involved in tasting wine are sight, smell and taste .

Sight , often the first sense used in wine tasting. It provides us with information on two features: limpidness or transparency, and colour. The limpidness helps us to determine the sanitary state of a wine; the color speaks more of the age of the wine, and sometimes about how concentrated it is. The range of colours varies differently depending on whether the wine is white or red.

The colour of white wines varies from almost colourless to intense yellow, at times even deep gold. The general tendency of white wines is to darken with the passing of time, and wines that have been fermented or aged in wooden casks also gain colour intensity.

The colour of red wines varies from intense violet, cherry, ruby red to mahogany tones with orange and even slightly brown tones passing through brick red on their way. Unlike white wines, reds tend to gradually lose their colour with age. A good way of analyzing the evolution of a wine by means of its colour is to observe the wine in the glass, from the centre to the edges. If it is lighter and browned at the edges than in the centre, we are looking at a wine with a certain degree of age or evolution.

Smell , perhaps the most important sense when tasting wine; not only due to the information it provides, but because it is complementary to the taste.

We must remember that aromas are processed by the brain, and some of them are subjective: our perception of them depends on previous experience. It is fundamental for a good wine taster, and even a good amateur, to taste the wines frequently in order to register the aromas in their memories. In a society characterized by its advanced interest in wine, there exist sensorial workshops and publications that train those attending in the learning and differentiation of the aromas of wine.

Almost five hundred aromas have been detected in the wine, and may be grouped together as: primary aromas , which come from the grape and are the freshest and fruitiest aromas; secondary aromas , generated during the fermentation process, and more complex than the previous aromas, and tertiary aromas , which are the most mysterious, elegant and complex, and come from the physical- chemical changes the wine undergoes during the aging period in the cask and bottle.

There are many possible combinations of these aromas depending on the soil, climate, age and grape variety, grape ripeness, as well as the materials and technology used by the producer during the winemaking and ageing processes. We shall not look any closer at the different types of aromas in this text, but we would recommend that the wine-lover prepare and cultivate his collection of olfactory sensations in order to increase his enjoyment of tasting wine.

With the wine in the mouth during the taste stage of the wine tasting process, we attempt to corroborate what we have previously discerned on the nose. This is the first thing we look for, and is an indication of the quality of the wine.

As with aromas, there exist an endless amount of tastes, which may be summarized in four basic tastes differentiated by the taste buds on the tongue: acid, salt, sweet and bitter .

Its balance is fundamental to the wine, as is the case with almost all drinks enjoyed by both sexes. However, together with the first olfactory impressions, we are able to register other sensations related to the sense of the touch, or feel, of the wine in the mouth, and thus we speak of body, temperature, astringency, silkiness, finish, etc., not to mention the olfactory impressions experienced as the wine passes through the mouth, thanks to the connections between both organs, and which experts refer to as “retro nasal”.

Good wine tasting is therefore an intellectual exercise. Education and training is both good and advisable, employing information and practice for greater enjoyment. We should not forget that it is a hedonist activity and as such, is for pleasure and not sacrifice. A great wine lover and taster always said that he did not know how to define wines as experts did, but he did know how to distinguish the ones he liked and savours them slowly; a great example of a wine taster for drinking wine in moderation and for enjoyment.

The Wines

Palacios De Bornos

Bodegas Palacios De Bornos (Rueda)

Anayon Chardonnay

Corona De Aragon (Cariñena)

Valdelosfrailes Rosado

Bodegas Valdelosfrailes ()

Pinna Fidelis crianza

Bodegas Pinna Fiddelis ()

Flor de Vetus

Bodegas Vetus (Toro)

Viña Monty Reserva

Bodegas Montecilla ()

Bodegas Y Viñedos TANINIA

Bodegas Palacios De Bornos

The winery was founded and began elaborating wine in 1870 in the town of , alongside the Appelation of Origin Rueda. In the late nineteenth century, its wines were well known throughout Castilla, expanding both nationally and internationally during the twentieth century.

In 1976, the fifth generation of the Sanz family broke away from the family tradition and started their own project with the construction of a new winery in the town of Rueda, thus beginning the most recent history of Palacio de Bornos. After more than thirty five years of solid work, Palacio de Bornos has become one of the most widely renowned brands in the Appelation of Origin Rueda, and is present in the major markets worldwide.

Palacio de Bornos boasts 220 hectares of their own vineyards, in the towns of Rueda, and La Seca.

When choosing a plot, the quality of the soil always takes precedence, with several analysis and soil samples being carried out to ascertain in detail its structure, thus ensuring that the vine will develop in the most appropriate soil. The soil of our vineyards is characterized by a calcareous clay subsoil and gravelly top soil, with a high concentration of boulders, allowing for good aeration and drainage, ideal characteristics for the successful development of the vine.

The special commitment to the vineyard have led Palacios Bornos to develop continuous research projects - mainly in the field of clonal selection, vine spacing, rootstock and foliar nutrition - through studies at experimental estates. The results, once positively tried and tested, are applied to the entire vineyard.

The aim has always been to plant the best vines in the best soil, in order to obtain the best wines.

Palacios De Bornos Verdejo

Tasting Notes Pale yellow colour with green tinge glints. Intense floral aroma. Crisp acidity with fruity notes on the palate.

Grape Variety: 100% Verdejo

Grandes Vinos Y Viñedos

Bodegas Corona De Aragon

The Winery and its vineyards are geographically located in the heart of the Cariñena Denomination of Origin, one of 's most traditional wine-producing regions. The origin of the Aragonese vineyards comes from the region called Celtíbera, where the Roman town of Carae (today Cariñena) was situated and whose inhabitants were known to drink wine mixed with honey as far back as the 3rd century B.C. The Denomination of Origin was obtained in 1932, with Cariñena being one of the first Spanish wines to achieve it, and confirming the pioneering nature in Aragon of the Denominations of Origin.

The vineyards are located in the 14 towns of the Region, at the bottom of the Algairén and Pecos mountain ranges, between the Huerva and Jalón rivers, at heights of between 320 and 850 metres above sea level.

Our wines are produced based on three fundamental aspects that form the essence of each one of them: the land, the climate and the variety.

On the foothills of mountains the soil is poor with underlying rocks, while on the plains the soil is mainly brownish-limestone or brownish-red settled on top of stony ground. More than 60% of the vineyard is planted using the head-pruning system and on dry land. The climate is continental with cold winters and very hot summers, the average yearly temperature is 14.4°C, and the rainfall is 435 mm/year, with May and June being the rainiest months.

Corona De Aragon Chardonnay

Tasting Notes Intense yellow colour, highly expressive nose with notable aromas of fresh tropical fruits, Its fruity notes show up again on the palate but are somewhat more citrus, such as grapefruits. Full-bodied, good volume, with a long and balanced passage.

Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Grupo Matarromera

Bodegas Valdelosfrailes

Valdelosfrailes Winery is located within the municipality of , in , which also belongs to the emerging Designation of Origin Cigales, as far as red wines are concerned. Its excellent facilities are surrounded by cared vineyards, where dominates the main variety of the area, the Tempranillo or Tinto Fino. Its spread it is partly due to the extraordinary 1999 harvest, which was raw material of the first wines launched in to the market.

The origin of Valdelosfrailes as winery dates back to the winemaking tradition of Carlos Moro’s family, which has been cultivating and elaborating wine in the areas of Cubillas de Santa Marta and . Wines are made in a traditional way resulting in exceptional clarets, but it was in 1998 when Carlos Moro decided to bet for the renewal and elaboration of new red and Rose wines in the area.

Valdelosfrailes Rosado

Tasting Notes Fresh lively salmon colour, with a huge floral bouquet, on the palate it is light, crisp with a long after taste

Grape Variety: 100% Tinta Del Pais

Bodegas Pinna Fidelis

Bodegas Pinna Fidelis appeared in 2001 as the result of an initiative by a group of growers in the Peñafiel district, a privileged zone within the Denominacion de Origen Ribera Del Duero.

Our conceptof a wine cellar is the combination, in perfect harmony, of the traditionalway of making wine in the area and a philosophy of innovation in the products, seeking to satisfy the new tastes of consumers of fine wines.

The facilities which have been set up in the bodega give you one of the most modern visions currently to be seen in the Ribera Del Duero appellation.

Bodegas Pinna Fidelis, whose name recalls the village which saw its birth, is located in the pretty ribera town of Peñafiel, where the Duero and Duraton rivers converge.

Peñafiel is watched over bt a majestic , an official national monument and the main attraction for visitors to these lands who, as well as being able to enjoy the local gastronomic delights accompanied by the best wines of the Ribera Del Duero, can follow one of the best itineries of museums and tourist sites in Spain.

Peñafiel is located in the province of Valladolid, just 56Km, from its capital, at crossroads where the tradition of wine growing area with a significant history, and whose present is in the ascendency, converges with new airs of modernity and progress .

Pinna Fidelis Crianza

Tasting Notes Fleshy and smooth, with blended tannins, long, very pleasant aftertaste that lingers on and on.

Grape Variety: 100% Tinta Del Pais

Grupo Artevino

Bodegas Vetus

Vetus is the project of the Anton family (Vina Izadi, Rioja; Ribera Del Duero) in Toro D.O. It is born in 2003 and since the very beginning they have intended to produce a unique wine with a modern style, and at the same time express the originality and elegance from the zone. The family had been travelling and visiting farms and plots in the region for various years before they produced their first anada of Vetus 2003.

The first vintage parts from vineyards of 8 hectares; from which their best grapes are selected carefully. The man in charge of the elaboration is the oenologist Angel Ortega from Bodegas Izadi. The vinification is carried out at low temperature and the crianza is carried out in 100% new cask, made by five different coopers to reinforce the personality of the wine. It is aged for 12 months and in January 2005, 33,000 bottles are produced from the 2003 vintage. At present time the bodega is in a process of renovating and has a vineyard of 10 hectares with Tinta De Toro vines which will have a maximum capacity yield of 100,000 kilos of grape totally selected from a selection table by hand at the entrance to the bodega.

Flor De Vetus

Tasting Notes

The first impression that arrives to us of dark granate, clean and very brilliant. To the nose it is sweet with some toasted wood, red berries and a touch of coffee, which with time are more present. In the mouth it is well rounded with tannins and give an impression of coolness, with a touch of liquorice and black fruits of the forest at the point of maturity with a very elegant and smooth after taste.

Grape Variety: 100% Tinta De Toro

Grupo Osborne

Bodegas Montecillo

Bodegas Montecillo was founded by Celestino Navajas in 1874 in the town of Fuenmayor in Spain's Rioja Alta region, the major and most traditional winemaking region in Spain. Thanks to the expertise that his son Alejandro acquired in , the bodega was one of the first to adapt Bordeaux winemaking techniques to Spanish grapes, earning the reputation and prestige that it still enjoys today.

In 1973, Bodegas Montecillo was acquired by Osborne y Cía. Osborne has continued the unique quality and traditions of the winery, including aging the wines exclusively in French oak barrels, which are handmade at the winery's own cooperage, and the use of 100% Tempranillo grapes for its red wines. Montecillo also boasts one of the most well-known female winemakers in Spain, Maria Martinez Sierra, who consistently produces fine wines year after year.

Viña Monty Reserva

Tasting Notes Medium – high cherry red intensity in colour. It is intense and elegant, with hints of black fruit, preserves and balsams. Ample with sweet tannins and notes of liquorice and eucalyptus. Long and persistent aftertaste.

Grape Variety: 100% Tempranillo

Wine Faults

Even though you may not see many faulty bottles, the picture would not be complete without understanding of the most common faults.

1 Corked

Where the cork itself is spoiled with bacteria, which affects the wine. Gives a musty, damp mouldy nose & palate

2 Oxidised

Wine too old, open too long of ill fitting cork. Gives a brown colour to the wine, dark in white wines, dull in reds, with a dull lifeless, sherry like smell.

3 Crystals

Looks like sugar, Tartaric acid, that sometimes appear when the wine becomes very cold. They usually stay in the bottle. Shows wine has not been over treated to remove crystals, so could be said to be a good thing.

4 Sulphur

Smells like spent matches and gives a tingling sensation in the nose due to excess sulphur dioxide.

5 Cloudy

Or fizzy, shows second fermentation, due to bad wine making.

6 Vinegar

On the nose and palate it shows either bad wine making or bottle open too long.

Glossary Terms

Abierto (open): A wine with a lack of colour and one which does not have a well balanced taste.

Afrutado (fruity): An incorrect Spanish expression widely used to describe the fruity character of a wine. The correct expression is fruital.

Amplio (big): A full bodied, powerful wine with complex nuances and well defined components.

Añada (vintage): Year in which the grape harvest took place from which a particular wine was produced.

Crianza : Generically this is used to describe any wine that has been aged. Vino de Crianza is the term for a Quality Wine that has been subject to a specific ageing period in wood or in bottle. In order to be classified as a crianza tinto, wine must spend at least 24 months in a cask or bottle, of which at least 12 months should be in oak casks. For blanco and rosado wines the ageing period is 12 months minimum, with at least six months spent in oak casks.

Reserva Subject to a specific ageing period in wood or in bottle. In order to be classified as a reserva tinto, wine must spend at least 36 months in a cask or bottle, of which at least 12 months should be in oak casks. For blanco and rosado wines the ageing period is 24 months minimum, with at least six months spent in oak casks

Gran Reserva : In order to be classified as a gran reserva, a tinto wine must be aged for at least 24 months in oak casks and for at least another 36 months in the bottle. For blanco and rosado wines, the minimum period is 48 months in casks and bottles, at least six of which must take place in casks made of oak.

Denominación de Origen (DO ): With the exception of one (Cava), all Quality Wines from Spain have DO status. Each area is governed by its own Consejo Regulador, which is government controlled, but run locally by a board which includes representatives of wine growers and bodegas. To obtain DO status, wines must meet certain criteria which include all aspects of planting, cultivating, harvesting, vinifying and ageing. All DO wines carry a contraetiqueta (official black label) on the back of the bottle .

Denominación de Origen Calificada (DoCa ): A controversial higher category of Quality Wine introduced by the Spanish government in 1988 and awarded to Rioja in 1991. This status guarantees that wines from an area have consistently performed at the highest quality level for a number of years. Whilst this may be true for a number of the greatest Rioja wines, the debate whether or not it should apply to all of them indiscriminately is hotly contested. Other qualifying criteria for this new category include more stringent quality and laboratory controls, a more rigourous selection of grapes before pressing, the buying of grapes at higher price levels and on site bottling of wines by the producer.